Agriculture

Plan for a night out and attend Friday's Ag Appreciation Banquet, which will feature singer Sheila Marshall. The social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., with the banquet starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Ramkota Hotel, 1400 Eighth Ave. N.W., Aberdeen. Tickets, which are $5, must be purchased by 10 a.m. Friday. To buy them, call 605-225-2860 or send an e-mail to info@aberdeen-chamber.com . The event recognizes the contributions that agriculture makes to the area. Courtesy photo

In the calendar of upcoming events at the end of this column, we have workshops planned at 4 locations, titled, Technology in Agriculture Workshops. This may seem like a vague title that could cover a lot of territory, but we hope these workshops will help people make use of the technology available to them. What we hope to accomplish at these workshops is to familiarize attendees with the new SDSU Extension website, which was recently reorganized, show the features of the new SDSU website, iGrow, and explore the Virtual Coffeeshop, podcasts, and other technology related offerings.

While the U.S. economy has struggled, one sector has remained robust and continues to offer long-term promise - agriculture. At CHS, the nation's largest farmer-owned cooperative, global opportunities for grain and other products have helped us return more than $1.4 billion to our members, including nearly $56 million to farmers in rural South Dakota, a huge boost for local economies. In addition, since 2006 our employment has grown by 30 percent, again much of it in rural communities.

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) - As the United States military presence in Afghanistan draws down, a former Fremont, Neb., man's role in developing leaders among the Afghan people earned one of the top military decorations recently. Brig. Gen. Scott Gronewold, assistant adjutant general for the Nebraska National Guard, presented the Bronze Star and several other medals to Lt. Col. William J. Prusia on Jan. 12 at the National Guard's Joint Force Headquarters in Lincoln. Prusia, a Fremont, Neb., native who now lives in Bellevue, led a National Guard agribusiness development team mission to Afghanistan last spring.

As cattle head out to pasture and crops are stretching out, there may be some time to consider the larger world of agriculture. Conde farmer Doug Sombke who is the South Dakota Farmers Union President attended the World Farm Organization conference in Italy. Doug returned Monday from his trip to Florence and Rome, and we talked Wednesday about his experiences. I learned a lot, he said. There are a lot of issues and troubles that we share with other countries around the world.

BROOKINGS - Alex Hohertz didn't grow up on a farm, so when the Minnetonka, Minn., native decided to pursue a career in agriculture, he turned to South Dakota State University to teach him how. Evidentially this was a smart move because when the senior Animal Science major graduates this May, his has a job lined up working as a ranch manager. When Hohertz wanted to gain a global perspective on the industry he was about to enter, he again relied on SDSU. This winter, he was one of 21 students from the College of Agriculture and Biological Sci -ences who traveled to Argentina to learn about agriculture in South America and glean a global perspective of agriculture.

Willmar, Minn. - America used to account for 21 percent of all research and development focused on agriculture in the world. Today, it is China that holds that lead position. The U.S. investment has shrunk to 14 percent, according to Dr. Brian Buhr, head of the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Buhr was part of a panel of U of M department heads speaking at Farmfest. They urged more investment in research funding, as well as strengthening the partnerships between producers, private industry and education that made possible many of the innovations we now benefit by. Buhr said that Minnesota's investment in its Agricultural Experiment Stations has remained stagnant or in decline since 1990.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The intersection of water and agriculture in the 21st century is taking center stage at the University of Minnesota's St. Paul campus. U of M researchers are finding new ways to reduce agriculture's impact on streams, lakes and aquifers. During a daylong symposium Friday, scientists will share how their discoveries affect the big picture of Minnesota's waters today and in coming decades. Experts will discuss examples of successful water management practices including drainage and cropping systems, as well as policy issues surrounding agriculture and water.

GILFILLAN ESTATE, Minn. - Gov. Mark Dayton touted the importance of agriculture during his speech to Farmfest attendees Aug. 2 at the annual farm show southeast of Redwood Falls. One in five jobs in the state is directly or indirectly connected to agriculture, second only to the manufacturing segment of the state's economy. Dayton pointed to two bills that actually passed during this year's regular legislative session as evidence of that importance. "The fact that (the budget bill for the state Department of Agriculture)

BROOKINGS - Tom Cheesbrough, Associate Director of the SDSU Agricultural Experiment Station will retire this month. Faculty and friends are invited to a reception in his honor from 3 to 5 p.m., Nov. 21 in the Pioneer room in the SDSU Student Union. A program is planned for 4 p.m. "During my short time at SDSU, I have grown to highly value Tom Cheesbrough's experience, his wisdom and his friendship," said Daniel Scholl, Professor in the department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences and Director of the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and Associate Dean of Research for the College of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at SDSU.

PIERRE, S.D. - Resources and information about possible federal government compensation are available to help livestock producers remove cattle carcasses left after the early October blizzard. Officials with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture (SDDA) and Public Safety have heard reports of large numbers of carcasses lying in waterways in parts of western South Dakota. Specific information, such as location and number, is needed to direct resources to assist with the problem.

On Oct. 22 the National Corn Growers Association hosted a Chinese agricultural delegation for a morning of informative presentations and discussions about the U.S. corn crop, agricultural associations and the seed and biofuels industries. The group, organized by Monsanto, included officials from China's Seed Bureau, Ministry of Agriculture and 16 officials from provincial seed administration stations. While NCGA hosts a number of teams interested in biotechnology and the corn crop outlook, this breadth of topics in which this team showed interest was somewhat unique, said NCGA Marketing Manager Joe Hodes.

Updates on the latest crop production products and recommendations are featured topics at meetings sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in December. Update meetings will be Dec. 2 in Iowa City and Dec. 11 in Ames. The meetings will give agriculture input providers an opportunity to meet with extension specialists from Iowa State and hear presentations on Pythium seedling disease, Palmer amaranth management, cover crops, soybean aphids and changes to nutrient management recommendations.

The October All Farm Products Index is 187 percent of its 1990-1992 base, up 0.5 percent from the September index but 11 percent below the October 2012 index. All crops: The October index, at 203, decreased 1.5 percent from September and is 15 percent below October 2012. Index decreases for feed grains & hay, oilseeds, and potatoes & dry beans more than offset the index increases for commercial vegetables, food grains, fruits & nuts, and upland cotton. Food grains: The October index, at 237, is 3.9 percent above the previous month but 11 percent below a year ago. The October price for all wheat, at $7.09 per bushel, is up 29 cents from September but $1.29 below October 2012.

The annual Aberdeen Ag Appreciation Banquet, slated for Nov. 15 at the Dakota Event Center, 720 S. Lamont St., will host a return performance of “Deuces Wild, Dueling Pianos” from Minneapolis. The social time begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the banquet at 6:30. Tickets, $5, are available at the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce, 516 S. Main St. Email info@aberdeen-chamber.com or call 800-874-9038. Between 500 and 600 people from northeast South Dakota attend each year.

It was a year to remember for the annual South Dakota Rural Women in Agriculture conference. Held October 3-4 at the K Bar S Lodge in Keystone, this year's theme was Faces of Agriculture. During the conference, an early season storm deposited 22 inches of snow in the area (more in other communities), blocking roads and knocking out power all over the western part of the state. Five guest speakers were scheduled for the conference, and four of them were able to appear. The first speaker after dinner on Thursday evening was Wanda Blair of Vale with her presentation Ranch Life Humor. She entertained the audience with stories of exchanges between her and her husband Ed. In one instance, she suggested that perhaps she should be getting paid for her help on the ranch.

WORTHINGTON, Ohio - The Ohio Soybean Council Foundation (OSCF) recently received a $30,000 grant from the DuPont Pioneer Giving Program to host the Ag Biotechnology Academy. This program introduced 41 science teachers to the content and skills necessary for teaching biotechnology and other related agriculture topics. The goals of the Ag Biotechnology Academy run parallel with the DuPont Pioneer Giving Program. A main focus is to support science education; partnering to provide training for high school science educators reaches the source of tomorrow's bright science and agriculture minds, said Rebekah Peck, communications manager at DuPont Pioneer.